Fishers’ Traditional Knowledge: A Primary Requirement for Adaptive Fisheries Management in the Northern Persian Gulf

Iran’s marine capture fisheries is mostly small-scale. Due to data limitations they are difficult to manage. Given that fishers’ knowledge, in combination with scientific knowledge, could help to promote fisheries management in spite of these limitations, the present research aimed to understand the local knowledge that has not been fully recognized as a source for management decision-making. The paper reports from a study of small pelagic purse seine fisheries in the northern Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. The study area included three main fishing grounds of Sardines and Anchovy in Hormozgan province namely off Qeshm Island, Bandar Lengeh, and Bandar Jask. Data were drawn from 104 face-to-face interviews using a random sampling technique and then transcribed into the questionnaires. There was a strong positive correlation between age of the fishers and their fishing experience (P < 0.001, r 2 : 0.76, Spearman test). The interviewed fishers were often moderately to highly experienced. They informed that purse seining is a seasonal practice and the closed fishing season is determined by a collective decision among the fishers. According to the fishers’ statements, 10 factors affect the fishing performance, which locating fish schools had the highest priority. Fishers also asserted that fish abundance of the nearshores has decreased and they have to move to deeper waters. Accordingly, they have increased their boats engine power (to 200 hp) and the net size (length to 360 m and height to 36 m). Finally, the vast majority of the fishers complained about poor fisheries co-management, while they are willing to cooperate with the government. The present paper was the first attempt to document the fishers’ traditional knowledge in the region which could be fruitful for executives to update the decisions and fisheries management actions in the region.